Seriously? OMG! WTF?

NBC’s low-rated new comedy "Twenty Good Years" is moving off the schedule earlier than previously planned. Originally, the network was to keep its 8-9 p.m. Wednesday comedy block of "30 Rock" and "Twenty Good Years" intact through next week. Now the network will air an extended two-hour edition of "The Biggest Loser" from 8-10 p.m. on November 8. The news comes on the heels of the lowest-ever ratings for both comedies this week, with a 1.8 rating/5 share among adults 18-49 for "30 Rock" and a 1.5/4 for "Years." "30 Rock" is slated to move to Thursday beginning November 16. "Twenty Good Years" stars John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor as two men out to make the best of their twilight years.

Hollywood Reporter 

I never saw this show, but then again it seems no one else did either.

It’s official: NBC has pulled the plug on "Kidnapped." Repeats of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" will take over the show’s Saturday, 9:00/8:00c home beginning November 4. Just 3.7 million viewers, including a paltry 1.2 rating/4 share among adults 18-49, tuned into the show’s most-recent broadcast, making it the least-watched program on the night. The series had widely been considered dead by various industry insiders upon the announcement that it would wrap its storyline after its initial 13-episode run (read the story). In total just five of the 13 ordered episodes have aired, although it’s not clear if production has been or will be completed on the remaining installments.

The Futon Critic

Finally, it was cruel what they did to the show.

Against repeats on CBS, NBC opened the week on a winning note, with a first-place finish in the overnights, total viewers and adults 18-49. NBC’s Deal or No Deal (which will benefit by being removed from the Thursday 9 p.m. hour) kicked-off with a dominant 10.1/15 in the overnights, 16.84 million viewers and a 4.8/13 among adults 18-49, followed by Heroes at an above-average (and also first-place) 9.7/14 in the overnights, 14.74 million viewers and a 6.4/15 among adults 18-49. Although a 10 p.m. airing of Tuesday drama Friday Night Lights (Overnights: #2, 5.7/10; Viewers: #2, 8.29 million; A18-49: #2, 3.5/ 9) dipped from Heroes by a considerable 41 percent in the overnights, 6.45 million viewers and 45 percent among adults 18-49, there were two pieces of positive news.

1) Friday Night Lights increased from its most recent Tuesday 8 p.m. airing (Overnights: 4.0/ 6; Viewers: 6.27 million; A18-49: 2.6/ 7 on Oct. 24) by 42 percent in the overnights, 2.02 million viewers and 52 percent among adults 18-49.

2) Friday Night Lights increased from the most recent performance of regularly scheduled occupant Studio 60 (Overnights: 6.3/10; Viewers: 7.72 million; A18-49: 3.2/ 8 on Oct. 23) by 570,000 viewers and 9 percent among adults 18-49.

While the retention could have certainly been better out of Heroes, NBC may want to consider another Monday 10 p.m. airing of Friday Night Lights in place of Studio 60 (which has not been officially canceled).

PI Feedback 

I have to admit I am finally getting used to Friday Night Lights.

Here we go: despite receiving an order for three more episodes on Friday, the Aaron Sorkin NBC drama “Studio 60 on Sunset Strip” is about to be put out of its misery. Cast members are already confiding in friends that the end is near. It’s likely NBC will pull the plug shortly I am told by insiders. Last week, Studio 60 had 7.7 million viewers. Compare that with competing "CSI: Miami," with 17.5 million. That gap cannot be closed. But ‘Studio 60’ has trouble internally at NBC, forget its intramural rivals. According to ratings stats, the “Saturday Night Live” behind the scenes soap opera loses almost half the viewers delivered to it a few minutes earlier by another new show, “Heroes,” which has become a surprise cult hit. Sorkin and friends will argue that NBC has done something wrong, or that the audience isn’t smart enough. Alas, in this case, neither is true. ‘Studio 60′—as I wrote on August 7th after viewing the pilot—is just a bad show. There’s nothing wrong with the acting, directing, or dialogue writing. But the premise is faulty. No one cares whether a bunch of over caffeinated, well off yuppies, some with expensive drug habits, put on a weekly comedy sketch show from Los Angeles. There is one winner to come out of ‘Studio 60,’ however: Matthew Perry. In this show he’s proven himself to be a star on his own separate from "Friends." His comedic timing and ability to ad lib, toss off lines, and give restrained physical reactions is what keeps ‘Studio 60′ even remotely interesting. We can only be hopeful that someone comes up with a great new show for him quickly—but a comedy that’s funny, not a drama that isn’t.

Fox411 

I hate to say it, but I would not be shocked if this was true. I personally think that NBC would be smart to move Medium to Mondays at 10p and Studio 60 to Wednesdays at 10p to help both shows get better audiences…but hey that is just me.

ABC’s "Help Me Help You," "The Nine" and "Men in Trees" and NBC’s "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" — have received orders for additional scripts. The ABC shows have been picked up for four more scripts, while "Studio 60" — a high-profile underperformer — has been given an order for three. Ordering additional scripts of new series in lieu of an early full-season pickup has become the norm for the Big Four networks this season. Only five freshman series — NBC’s "Heroes," CBS’ "Jericho" and "Shark," and ABC’s "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers & Sisters" — have been given full-season orders. That is half of the 10 new shows picked up for a full season at this point a year ago. In the past several years, the networks gave additional script orders to a handful of ratings-challenged series, including NBC’s "E-Ring" as well as CBS’ "Threshold" and "Out of Practice" last year. In a stark contrast this year, aside from the two shows that already have been canceled — CBS’ "Smith" and NBC’s "Kidnapped" — virtually every other freshman show on the Big Four has received an order for additional scripts, including all the new Fox series: "Vanished," "Standoff," "Justice," "’Till Death" and "Happy Hour," NBC’s "Friday Night Lights" and "Studio 60," ABC’s "The Nine" and "Help Me," with NBC’s "30 Rock" also close to an extra scripts pickup. The number of breakout shows this year ("Heroes," "Ugly Betty") is the same as last year (Fox’s "Prison Break," NBC’s "My Name is Earl"). Still, the networks are massively hedging their bets with more backup scripts and fewer episode orders this year.

Reuters 

I think the only two shows who haven’t got additional script orders are Six Degress and 20 Good Year.

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